A Chinese Navy helicopter flies within three meters of a surveillance flight over Bajo de Masinloc in the West Philippine Sea. Philippine Coast Guard

Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1739933818424Screen Shot 2025-02-19 at 10.56.26 AM.png" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">A Chinese Navy helicopter flies within three meters of a surveillance flight over Bajo de Masinloc in the West Philippine Sea. <em>Philippine Coast Guard</em></span></span></span>MANILA— The US Embassy in the Philippines on Wednesday condemned the &quot;dangerous maneuvers&quot; by China&#x27;s People&#x27;s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy helicopter towards a Philippine aircraft on Tuesday.</div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/2/18/pla-navy-helicopter-tails-bfar-aircraft-over-bajo-de-masinloc-1708">PLA Navy helicopter tails BFAR aircraft over Bajo de Masinloc</a></div><p>&quot;We condemn the dangerous maneuvers by a PLA Navy helicopter that endangered pilots and passengers on a Philippine air mission,&quot; US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson said on X.</p><p>The Philippines Coast Guard (PCG) on Tuesday reported that a PLA Navy helicopter, identified by plane tail number 68, flew dangerously close to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) plane during its surveillance flight over Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal.</p><p>The PLA Navy helicopter came as close as three meters to the left side and above the BFAR aircraft.</p><p>&quot;This reckless action posed a serious risk to the safety of the pilots and passengers during the MDA flight,&quot; PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela earlier said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/12/5/chinese-navy-ships-in-masinloc-alarms-philippine-gov-t-1221">PH &#x27;reserves right&#x27; to deploy military ships after China&#x27;s use of PLA Navy in latest WPS tensions</a></div><p>The US Embassy called on China to &quot;refrain from coercive actions and settle its disputes peacefully in accordance with international law.&quot;</p><p>Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Panatag and Scarborough Shoal, is located off Masinloc, Zambales, within the Philippines&#x27; exclusive economic zone.</p><p>The Philippine government plans to issue a<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/2/18/philippines-to-protest-dangerous-china-helicopter-maneuvers-official-0737"> formal diplomatic protest </a>over the incident, according to the National Maritime Council.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5Z5P8S6Lqsk?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>The US Embassy called on China to "refrain from coercive actions and settle its disputes peacefully in accordance with international law."</p>

The US Embassy called on China to "refrain from coercive actions and settle its disputes peacefully in accordance with international law."

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US condemns Chinese Navy for 'endangering' PH aircraft

US condemns Chinese Navy for 'endangering' PH aircraft

Jauhn Etienne Villaruel,

ABS-CBN News

Published Feb 19, 2025 11:14 AM PHT

|

Updated Feb 19, 2025 04:51 PM PHT

Read More:

China

Beijing

US

West Philippine Sea

South China Sea

PLA

Navy

US Embassy

politics

dispute

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